**, - Adam Up - The Science of Birthday Party Happiness - And How To Use It Every Day to be Happier

Published: Thu, 10/22/15

Oct #4
Edition #518
Hello - and Welcome to Adam Up
It has featured a lot in online media; the story of the three very sad suicides that happened at the same school in the US that have bizarrely been linked to hypnosis as each of the teenage suicides had experienced hypnosis with the school principal. Read what I had to say on the subject


We also added a new section to our course prospectus forms recently that we wanted to share with you all.... Why bother travelling to Bournemouth for hypnotherapy training? 



Help Yourself With Self-Hypnosis Audios - 60% Discount
We like to give our good friends that read Adam Up some great offers. 

It is some time now since we have offered a discount to our readers for self-hypnosis download audios in our Hypnosis For Download online store.

Using the coupon code AUDIOS60 and entering it in the box during the checkout the overall price will be reduced by 60 per cent.




On to Today's Edition of Adam Up then....
This weekend just gone by we had a Birthday party for my son. It was a couple of hours in a local village hall with a hilarious magic show, cake eating, loud music, singing, dancing, party games and balloons with a room full of lively 4 year olds. It was wonderful and everyone had a fabulous time, and we have been on a high ever since. 

There are so many things that happen during a Birthday celebration that science proves makes us happier. However, it does not have to be stuff that we do exclusively on Birthdays; the principles can be applied throughout the year. Let me highlight them:  
- Party Planning:

My wife and I asked our son what kind of a party he wanted many months ago. We have been talking about it, looking forward to it and planning it ever since. We have all experienced times when we have had a huge amount of pleasure from anticipating Christmas or another celebration of some kind, haven’t we? 

In a study entitled ‘Looking forward, looking back: Anticipation is more evocative than retrospection’ (http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2007-06470-009) researchers Van Boven and Ashworth (2007) showed that people enjoy looking forward to events more than we enjoy looking back upon events. It makes sense that we all involve ourselves in planning happy occasions, we are currently planning Halloween, Christmas, my Daughter’s Birthday party and next year’s family holiday. 
family
- Spending Money On Others: 

There is very limiting evidence to suggest that money can actually buy happiness. The evidence tends to suggest that one particular way money can bring happiness is to spend it on others. At Birthday time and at parties, money is spent on gifts that aim to make the Birthday boy or girl happy. 

A study entitled ‘Spending money on others promotes happiness’ the researchers Dunn, Aknin and Norton (2008) state;

“It’s partly because giving to others makes us feel good about ourselves. It helps promote a view of ourselves as responsible and giving people, which in turn makes us feel happy. It’s also partly because spending money on others helps cement our social relationships. And people with stronger social ties are generally happier.”

The study showed that individuals who spent money on others were happier than those who spent the same amount on themselves. When we buy presents for others for their birthday, we all feel good as a result. 

A large cross-cultural study By Aknin et al. (2010) that gathered information from 136 different countries also showed that people who reflected upon times they’d spent money on others were happier than people who recalled times they’d spent money on themselves.
Birthday parties illustrate  this point in amplified fashion.

- Buy Experience, Not Just Stuff! 

A couple of times last weekend, I had to dig my son out from underneath a mountain of wrapping paper, and I must say, him and I have been spending a lot of time playing Lego together since then However, at children’s Birthday parties when lots of toys are being bought, it is important to bear in mind that experience is just as important, if not more important to spend your money on. 

Psychological research suggests that the party, with friends, watching ‘Count Backwards’ and his exploding magic wands, hilarious sparkly platform shoes doing his magic show will bring the happiness home. The dancing with friends, the pass-the-parcel and musical statues create an overall experience that creates happiness that will live long in the mind. 

I say that, but have you ever played musical statues and tried telling 4 year olds that they have to sit out? As DJ and judge for this game, I got plenty of frowns from the children I asked to sit out because they moved when the music stopped!

That aside, experiences and happy memories are easier for us all to talk about, happily reflect upon and as a result they give us continued pleasure long after the cake has all been eaten. 
- Be Active and Move: 

In another large study (Self Regulation Of Mood) conducted at the California State University, Thayer, Newman and Mclean (1994) examined what strategies people found most effective for feeling better in themselves and uplifting mood.  

The number one strategy rated as most effective for changing mood and raising energy is exercise. The authors of the study state that this is not the type of long-distance running training that I write about all the time, but a simple stroll outdoors which stretches our legs is as good for mood elevation. 

Getting the body moving, the heart pumping, and oxygen flowing into the lungs gets us happier. And boy, does that ever happen at Birthday parties!?? Both my kids spend Birthday parties with sweaty foreheads after they’ve been there for two minutes! For the rest of us, it makes sense then, to take stairs instead of lifts, to have a walk during breaks, to breathe the air and move our bodies throughout our days and we’ll be happier as a result. 
skiing
- Music Maestro Please! 

The number two strategy in the same study mentioned in the previous point, is listening to music. Listening to music lifts mood and makes us feel better. Music has the capacity to alter and influence mood in a wide number of ways. Importantly, people simply love music. 

Birthday parties have plenty of music - and when coupled with all that movement and activity from our previous point, we hit happiness central. 

Evidence suggests that even sad or depressing music can make us happier as people enjoy the mix of emotions it stimulates. I have many hours of first hand experience of this from my teenage years listening to some of my favourite Smiths records, enjoying moping around in response. 
- Social Interaction:

The third most successful strategy in the large study is social interaction. This is central to children’s Birthday parties. Not just for the children, but for the adults, family and parents of those involved. We get to talk, share experiences, laugh and enjoy the event from an adult perspective. 

Social interaction makes us happier 
- Pan For Gold:

My son and I share the favourite parts of our day each night before we go to bed. At the weekend, I asked him what he enjoyed most about his party. He spoke for a long time. This tends to happen naturally following children’s parties. The children discuss it at school, with friends, with family afterwards. They pick out their highlights and it makes them smile. 

We can all do this every day. Scan through our day and pick out the highlights that let us reflect in a positive way which makes us feel happier. 

Martin Seligman and colleagues (2005) showed (Pick Out Highlights of Day) that when people did this exercise it made them happier for a full 6 months afterwards. 

You don’t have to just list positive elements of your day prior to going to bed. Throughout the day, you can reflect upon happy memories by daydreaming. 

Quoidbach and colleagues at the University of Liege (Positive Mental Time Travel) found that positive mental time travel made people happier. When people think back to times in their lives that were enjoyable, filled with happiness and connection with others, that happiness was rekindled. Birthday parties give you plenty to talk about afterwards, and also to remember fondly. 

Of course, we all know that Birthday parties make us happy. Science supports many of the underlying reasons though and as a result, we can all adopt elements of children’s Birthday party psychology to make ourselves happier every other day of the year too.  

party
Write A Book Webinar Series
Over the years, I have written a number of forewords for books and as an aside from the content and learning each book gives the world, I love to see people I know get their work out into the world and become a published author. Getting book written is like completing a marathon; it requires a lot of sustained effort and you need to know how to best go about it. 

Recently, at a hypnotherapy peer support group I ran here in Bournemouth, graduate of this college Mark Green came and gave us some readings of his book “Hypnotherapy Poems of Peace” which was innovative, heartfelt and valuable. I wrote the foreword to that book and was honoured to do so. Mark’s project meant that he got to offer up something very different and wonderful to the world and add credibility to his ongoing hypnotherapy career. 

Another of our former graduates also wrote a book recently that I think many hypnotherapists will enjoy and benefit from. Peter French wrote a book about how to use wordpress. That is, it explains how hypnotherapists can set up a website and guides them through the entire process instead of having to pay someone else to do it. It is excellent, and Peter is equally excellent, have a look for yourself - The therapist Website Book

Just this very week, the paperback print edition of Patricia Worby’s book was released also. I wrote a glowing review for ‘The Scar That Won’t Heal’ and think everyone will find it illuminating, provoking, enjoyable and highly informative and that is from me, someone who rarely, rarely believes in the value of some of the central tenets of this book. It is a triumph, the book is brilliant and Patricia has written something truly remarkable that she has worked incredibly hard to put together. Go grab a copy of her book from Amazon, you’ll be pleased you did: The Scar That Won't Heal

I remember talking to Patricia about it a long time ago; she had the knowledge, was doing the research and just needed to take action. She attended my book writing course and as a result mentions me in her acknowledgements for helping her get into print. That was at the beginning of this year. Early next year, I’ll be running it again, and now is your chance to do as Patricia and several others from that group have done. Let me explain….

Are you a therapist?
Have you ever wanted to become a published author?
Have you thought about how to really advance your career with the kudos of being a published author?
Ever thought about how nice it will be to have passive income generated from your book sales?

This is an opportunity for you to cease this coming New Year.

Starting on Tuesday January the 12th, for 8 weeks, we’ll be hosting a series of webinars to ensure you make 2016 your most successful ever. If you are unable to make any of the calls, you’ll get access to the recordings to listen to straight after.

This is limited to just 15 people as it was last year, and I’m certain it will fill up just as it did last year. We’ll work with each of the 15 people as part of the group but also individually to help you get laser beam advice specific to you and your book project.

This set of live online classes delivered by myself and Keith Watson will run you through everything you need to know about writing your book, editing it, getting it published and how to market it effectively in order to get it into the hands of your target audience.

This is only ever going to be run a single time in 2016 and we cannot guarantee we’ll run it again.

It is an investment of just £149.00 plus Vat

  • There are many, MANY people out there who want to write a book, but don’t.
  • There are many, MANY, people out there who write a book and do not get published.
  • There are many, MANY people out there who get a book published and who make very few sales indeed.
  • There are many, MANY therapists out there who deserve to be doing better than they are!
If you follow the guidance and instructions as well as invest the right amount of effort, you’ll have a book written, edited, published and selling well much sooner than you might think.

For the 8 weeks that this course runs, you’ll be required to work very hard, making sure you complete the homework given to you each week within set deadlines – this will make sure you have made major progress by the end of this course and have a foundation to go and become a published author whose book sells and whose book has a positive effect upon your business.

We are going to pack each webinar with a LOT of information for you to digest and then use effectively.

The first few modules will guide you through how to actually write your book – seems simple, but it is not. You want to write a book that publishers will be sold on and enthusiastic about. You also want to write a book that readers will invest in, will talk to others about and a book that represents you well. These are things that require consideration and balance. We’ll even run through the processes of having the best title (and a subtitle that will deliver success), knowing the right tone, being able to express yourself with clarity and also be considered credible and respected due to your content.

I’ll show you how to choose your subject matter, how to research it, how to be subsequently considered the expert of this subject as a result. What qualifies me to advise you on that? Today, I am sought out by professional peers, world champions, world record holders, media representatives, magazines, conferences and members of the public from countries all around the world due to being considered a world renowned expert when it comes to self-hypnosis and when it comes to using hypnosis for advancing running performance. This was built upon having books that sold well in these niches. Your book will open doors for you and add dimension to your career.

With the latter part of this course, you’ll be guided through the process of how to get a publisher to publish your book, what they look for in a book proposal and advise of the benefits of taking the route of being backed by professionals in this field.  We’ll also show you how to self-publish if you want a higher cut of the sales and how to be absolutely in charge of the entire process yourself. We have direct experience in both of these areas and both has it’s own fair share of advantages and annoyances.

Either way, you’ll also need to know how to market your book, we’ll show you how to make online book retailers love your book. We’ll show you how to launch your book in style, how to get a great Amazon ranking, how to get your book featured in all the right places and how to ensure the book becomes a tool that will indeed jettison your career. Importantly as well, we’ll show you how to make money from your book.

This is a one-off opportunity – we will work you hard, coach you and set you up with all you need to know.

Is This For You?

We are primarily aiming this at therapists, so you should be a therapist. This is our area of expertise, we do not know about publishing fiction. You need to be able to invest time and effort in this process. We do not want people to sign up and take places on this course, but then not implement what we show you to do. We want you to be a successful author with a successful career as a result. Your progress and level of achievement will reflect upon us.

It will be run on 8 Tuesdays 4pm-5pm UK time as from January the 12th, 2016.

You will get spoon fed with all the instructions of how to join in each webinar and we’ll send each of you a recording of the call as soon as it has finished. Each call will be led by Keith or myself in the first instance, then there’ll be ample opportunity for you to ask questions and directly consult with us. You’ll have ongoing access to us throughout the rest of the week for us to help you work on your book until the course ends.

Is 2016 the year that you decide to finally become a successful, published author and become a recognised authority in your specialist area? Then seize this opportunity. I think it’ll be the best investment of £149.00 (plus Vat) you ever made. I know what we are going to be teaching and what we are going to be including and you are going to be blown away with the depth of information. We are going to ave the way for you to become the published author you wish to become. No more dreaming, no more pining, but making it happen and taking positive action.


If you’re reading this, you have a head start on everyone else – we’ll be announcing it and promoting it heavily elsewhere in coming weeks, so expect the places to get taken quite soon after that.
Hypnotherapists - Please Note - This Could Be Part Of 30 Month Pass CPD
If you are a hypnotherapist who is keen to constantly update your practice and what you can offer - then do check out our advanced training at our College Of Hypnosis Website 

The next course is Adam's Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy Course in November - BUT

Do check out our 30 Month CPD Pass - (the CBH can be part of that package) - Go and see about the 30 Month Pass for Advanced Training


Hypnosis Weekly
Joke Of The Week
We seem to have hit a chord with lots of you out there with the high brow jokes and I have been inundated this week. Here are some more selected from those sent in: 

When I heard that oxygen and magnesium hooked up I was like OMG.
The barman says: “We don’t serve faster-than-light particles here.” A tachyon enters a bar.


A Roman walks into a bar, holds up two fingers, and says: “Five beers, please.”
Did you hear about the man who got cooled to absolute zero? He’s 0K now.
Jean-Paul Sartre is sitting at a French café, revising his draft of Being and Nothingness. He says to the waitress: “I’d like a cup of coffee, please, with no cream.” The waitress replies: “I’m sorry, Monsieur, but we’re out of cream. How about with no milk?”


What did the proton say to the ever-grumpy electron? “Why do you have to be so negative all the time?”

How many Freudians does it take to screw in a lightbulb? It takes two, one to screw in the lightbulb, and one to hold the peni-, fathe-, LADDER!

Schroedinger’s cat walks into a bar. And it doesn’t. 

Thank you to everyone who sends them in each, I love getting them. 
Caption Contest
Why not get over and join Adam's Hypnosis Hub.  Anyone interested in Hypnosis may join.  You could then add a caption to our weekly image. 
Meme Of The Week
This meme appeared in the Lancet
Get In Touch
Any Questions Or Help Needed -
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Please use Support Centre rather than e-mails which are notoriously unreliable

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Telephone:

Do leave a message if we are not available and we will call you back.

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Keith:  01202 247301 or 0044 1202 247301 (outside UK)

Skype:

Another thing that we encourage is contacting us via Skype. 

Keith's Skype ID  - keithaw2k1.

Adam can be contacted on Skype by arrangement.

 
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